Welcome to the DownUnder Direct Inspiration blog. Here you will find lots of fantastic projects using the wonderful range of products from DownUnder Direct. The DownUnder Direct range includes Bazzill Basics Paper, JustRite Stamps, Spellbinders, Swarovski Crystals and BLING-abilities. You will also find our latest edition - the wonderful pre cut and scored card blanks from Le Crystelle. Card blanks are now available for retail purchase only. To view the complete range visit www.lecrystelle.com.au

Today I have the pleasure of introducing a Guest Designer Karen Lawson

Hi, I’m Kerryn! I live in sunny... soggy.. well these days it’s hard to know, but I come from the land down under. South Australia to be exact. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for over 10 years and we have 2 gorgeous kids, a son who is 6 and a daughter who is 8. My poor long suffering husband is the reason I caught the scrapbooking bug. He bought me a scrapbooking kit as a birthday present about 4 years ago so that I could record memories of our first family holiday. Little did he know the chain reaction that would come as a result of that innocent birthday gift.

I do love recording moments and memories but really, for me, scrapbooking is just about being creative. I love the process of bringing photos, paper and embellishments together to celebrate a special memory or showcase a special photo. While I don’t have as much time for scrapbooking as I used to, I still make time every day for this wonderful hobby of mine.

Here is Kerryn's layout. Kerryn demonstrates how versatile the Spellbinder dies are by using them to cut out different mediums. In this example they have been used on hessian and tissue paper. The close ups shows how Bazzil can be used to bring patterned paper to life.

The flowers on this card were made using the new Spellbinders die Spiral Blossom One. The Cameo was made using the Floral Doiley Motifs with the addition of dimensional magic, micro beads, embossing powder and stickles

Creating your own trinkets and accents is easy with Spellbinders, by simply embossing shapes cut out with powders or dimensional magic, then sprinkle with micro beads, shaved fragments and glitters . To add dimesion to the leaves try embossing them with the netting used to hold oranges or onions. it give the leaves a lumpy pitted texture.

Earlier this year all the members of the DownUnder Inspirations Design Team received a Grand Calibur machine. We've now been using the machine for a number of months so we thought we would share our thoughts on this wonderful cutting machine.

First here is a little info about the Grand Calibur:

Grand Calibur™

Finally, a Die Cutting and embossing machine that changes everything.

The Grand Calibur allows crafters to use up to 8 1/2 “ x 11” paper.

It allows us to bring you the next level in Nestabilities and Labels die Templates.

The Calibur comes with three plates: The A plate is the base plate, the B plate is the embossing plate, and the C plate in the cutting plate. It also has a large tan embossing mat. The Calibur consists of a plastic exterior but steel internal parts, so no breaking this little baby...and it has suction feet so it won't move when cutting your dies.

Here's what the Design Team Girls had to say about this new machine:

Teresa

The first thing I noticed about the Grand Calibur was the size. It’s very sturdy, meaning you don’t need to hold it down with one hand while you crank with the other. One handed operation is most convenient. It has a really wide mouth – you can fit an entire A4 sheet of cardstock on the large plates. For those of us who like to scrapbook in this size, this means we can emboss details anywhere we like on a page. The larger platform also means you can cut with a number of small dies at once to save time.

The instructions are basic, and there are little reminder diagrams on the machine itself should the instruction booklet ever get lost.

Lastly, there are those beautiful Grand Nestabilities dies that just won’t fit into smaller die cutting machines.

All in all, this machine is simply GRAND!

Sheree

I am loving using the New Grand Calibur die cutting machine from Spellbinders. This machine is so easy to use with no fuss...simple one step cut and the best thing i love about it is that you can cut lots of diffrent dies at once with the big 8.5x11 plates... and embossing is so so easy you dont even have to move the dies just cut your shape lay on the embossing mat then the embossing plate and slide through the machine easy every time.... I would highly recommend this machine to anyone....Sue

For me there are several advantages that the Grand Calibar has over the other leading cutting machines.

The most obvious being the A4 cutting plates. This allows you to cut more than one die at a time a bonus when doing Kits, Flowers or any multi cuts.

The A4 format also allows you to cut artisan shaped cards, with the large Spellbinder or label dies. this gives your cards a uniqueness and polish you just cant fake.

When using the dies that cut and emboss, the Grand Calibar for me, embosses much better than any other in one step. This means you can cut and emboss in one process, usually and do not have to run the die through the machine a second time. You can, and will achieve a deeper emboss, but you don’t have to. This again saves time when doing kits and multiple cuts.Tracey

When I received my Grand Calibur the thing that impressed me most was the fact that I could now cut much larger sized paper than I had previously been able to with other machines on the market. I love the ease of cutting, with very little effort required to run the dies through the machine. The quality of embossing that can be achieved is fantastic.

As you can see from the above reviews we all love the Grand Calibur. For more info or to purchase one for yourself please contact your local craft retailer.Phone us on 03 8331 0700 or email orders@downunderdirect.net.au and we can advise ofyour nearest stockist.

This is a really quick and easy project. It’s a wipe-clean frame that can be used as a memo board. I’ve had one of these hanging in my craft room for about a year now, and it helps me keep track of assignments very easily. The one I’ve made here will be used to keep track of my children’s weekly activities.

Products Used:

Bazzill Basics Paper:

5-565E Aqua

Spellbinders:

S4-230 Labels Six

S4-161 Labels One

S4-233 Labels Nine

S4-092 Star 5 dies

S4-190 Labels Four

S5-019 Labels Eight

S4-113 Scalloped Ovals Small

Other Materials Used:

MME Stella and Rose patterned paper

Store-bought picture frame (this one is 12 x 12 inches)

GC-001 Grand Calibur Machine

Instructions:

Step 1

Gather together some patterned paper and matching Bazzill. Disassemble the frame and trim the patterned paper to fit inside the frame.

Step 2

Select a variety of Nestabilities dies, and arrange them on the patterned paper to make sure they will fit.

Step 3

Cut these shapes out and emboss the edges using the Grand Calibur.

Step 4

Adhere these shapes to the patterned paper with glue dots or your preferred adhesive.

Step 5

Reassemble the frame.

Your frame is now ready to use. Write on it with a whiteboard marker, and it can be wiped off with a tissue. You could also use this for shopping lists, reminders and quotes of the day.

Todays project features one of the new Spellbinder box dies. I love making this sort of project and with these new dies you can make a beautiful little box in no time at all.

When I folded up the hexagonal petal box and saw that it would fit something flat, I thought it would be perfect to present a little gift to someone special. I made a cute little brooch from the flower dies in the set, and added a beautiful vintage button to the centre.